Undergraduate Research Courses

Students sitting at a table with their laptops listening to Gerald Feldman's lecture in a physics course.

Completing a research course connects class work to real-world applications and shows students how professional lab experiments run or how scientists use supercomputers.

All BS in PhysicsBS in Biophysics and BS in Astronomy and Astrophysics students are required to complete one three-credit research course. BA in Physics students may also complete research courses for credit.  

Consult your research advisor and the departmental undergraduate advisor for guidance on how to satisfy a research course. All majors in the Department of Physics also have to take the Physics Capstone (PHYS 4195W) course, which prepares students for doing research and guides them in defining a research project. All BS students also have to take the Physics Symposium (PHYS 4200) course, which guides students in preparing a written report on the research project, a poster presentation at the CCAS Research Showcase, and an oral presentation at the Physics Undergraduate Symposium Day.

 


Research Advisors

Professor Gerald Feldman looks over two students work.

Every student wishing to complete a research course must choose a research advisor. The advisor oversees progress on the project, provides necessary assistance and determines the final grade. 

The research advisor must be a member of the Physics Department faculty, even in cases when the project is completed in another department or another institution. Students may involve additional research advisors, pending agreement from the faculty research advisor and the departmental undergraduate advisor.

Students should carefully review the list of faculty by research group to find a potential research advisor and reach out to them directly. Students are also guided in this process during the capstone course.

Faculty Research Groups


Completed Undergraduate Symposium Research Projects

May 2, 2025 Symposium

Jaden Sicotte: A Study of Early Galaxy Characteristics Within the VANDELS DR4 Sample. Advisor: Nimisha Kumari

Alex Sadr: Investigating Adaptation of Caenorhabditis Elegans to Different Temperatures. Advisor: Mark Reeves

Ilana Stern: Probing AI Mechanics with a Biophysical Process. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu

Scott Pettyjohn: The Automation of Wildlife Conservation with AI. Advisor: Mark Reeves

Quinn Stefan: Shining a Light on Nuclear Structure with π− Photoproduction. Advisor: Axel Schmidt

James Parella: Image Analysis Using Machine Learning in the Field Study of Primates. Advisor: Mark Reeves

Michaela Schulman: A Look into the Early Universe Through High-Redshift Gamma Ray Burst Detection. Advisors: Hallie Fausey & Alexander van der Horst

Amy Georgescu: Laser Optimization in C. Elegans Behavioral Studies. Advisor: Mark Reeves

Andrew Kille: Optical and Acoustic Spin Dynamics Near Nodal Areas. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev

Jordan Hadix: Investigating Data from the WISE Infrared Observatory Catalog to Identify and Classify Exotic
Objects. Advisor: Oleg Kargaltsev

August Friebolin: Preliminary Calculations for a Two-Photon Exchange Experiment at Jefferson Lab. Advisor: Axel Schmidt

Maxine Alexandre-Strong: Simulating the Swift XRT Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Population to Probe Electron Acceleration. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst

Cole Christensen: Novel Eigenworm Analysis for Nematode Behavior. Advisor: Mark Reeves

May 2, 2024 Symposium

Leonard Liu: Measurement of Compton Scattering Differential Cross Section of 4 He at 85 MeV at HIγS

Julia Peters: Photogrammetry in the Field Study of Primates

Phoenix Price: Characterizing a Three-Stage, μ-CAT MPD Pulsed Thruster for Cubesat Applications

May 5, 2023 Symposium

Emily Sullivan: Implementing mitigation measures in residential spaces to decrease the spread of COVID-19

Logan Earnest: Probing nuclear structure by measurement of Σ beam spin asymmetry of π- photoproduction

Grace Bradley: Creating safer indoor meeting spaces in GW'S Corcoran Hall by tracking aerosol flows

Gabe Grauvogel: Analyzing the energy resolution of a lead-tungstate calorimeter for a proposed two-photon exchange experiment

April 29, 2022 Symposium

Annika Schmid: Nerve habituation in C. elegans

Davie Loria: How the dice fall: investigating the final state probabilities of bevelled versus non-bevelled dice

Marisa Lazarus: Recognizing cold atmospheric plasma jet with computer vision

Caden Gobat: Optical darkness in short-duration gamma-ray bursts 

April 30, 2021 Symposium

Kevin Heo: Quantitative Analysis of the Interaction of DNA and Divalent Cations

Ujwal Kumar: Systematically Searching for VLITE Transients

Christian Longton: Vortices and Ferris Wheels from Acoustic Multipoles

Isabella Grimaldi: Searching for Pulsar Microlensing Candidates

Nicholas Feliciano: Fast Scanning Calorimetry Study of Crystalline Ice Films to Determine Vaporization Kinetics near Ice Melting Point

Michael Chevalier: Investigation into IVGQR via Compton Scattering

Ruby Duncan: Making the Most of Radio Peaks in Gamma Ray Burst Afterglows

Daniel Piatigorski: Identifying and Classifying Biological Nanoparticles using Ilastik

April 30, 2020 Symposium

Miya Bernal: Fractionation of DNA by Length with Neutral Polymers

Kyucheol Lee: Time Series Analysis of the Light Curve through a Method of Fast Fourier Transformation

Morgan Joyce: A Study on Improving Modern Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors

Stephanie Braddock: Simulating High-Redshift Gamma Ray Bursts for SCORPIO

Jose Nazario: Application of Machine Learning to π0 Photoproduction

Eric Boulter: Audio Instrument Isolation via De-Noising Auto-Encoder

Lexie Weikert: Applying Machine Learning to Radio Transient Searches

Jane Peabody: It's Not Just a Phase: Quantum and Topological Characteristics of Light in Phase Singular Regions

Cameron Swanson: Engineering a Low-SWaP RF System for Radio Astronomy

Patrick Skawski: Simulating Gamma-Ray Bursts to Understand SCORPIO Capabilities for Host Galaxy Studies

Bryce Halter: Payload Development for Sub-Scale Sounding Rockets

Elias Alstead: Ion Interactions with an Optical Vortex 

Jason Starita: Conceptions of Community among Learning Assistants and Physics Majors 

May 2, 2019 Symposium 

Shannon Babcock: Synthesis and Screening of Optical Biosensor for Ubiquitin Binding Characterization

Jacquelyn Veatch: Investigating Osmotic and Ionic Tolerance Catalyzed by Saltwater Intrusion in Germinating Crop Species

Ian Dragulet: On the Landing Probabilities of Irregular Dice

Nathalya Ramirez: Diffusive and Deterministic Transport in Gels

Erin Mulhearn: A Microscopic View into Amylin Aggregation

Zachary Ho: Developing an Automatic Pipeline to Improve Productivity in GRB Analysis

Rohan Patil: Analytical Metrics and The Future of Telemedicine

Elizabeth Rossi: The Underlying Nuclear Physics Aspects of Proton Radiation Therapy

Sarah Schrup: Cardio-oncology: Applying Light Modulation Techniques to Chromatin Remodeling Regulation In Vitro

Jack Hirschman: Detector Integration for MUSE

 

May 3, 2018 Symposium 

Sophia Donovan: The Sleeping Monster: NuSTAR observations of SGR 1806-20, 11 years after the Giant Flare

Obinna Ome Irondi: Biosensor Development for Ubiquitin Binding Characterization

Tyler Samuels: Phase Singularities in Twisted Light Interference Patterns

George Sangiolo: Morphological trajectories during the T1 transition in gap-free cell monolayers

Samantha Lumpkin: Interference of Neutron Beams with Different Topological Charges

Kara Zielinski: Amylin Aggregation Kinetics

 

May 2, 2017 Symposium

Mikeala Sparks: The Basics Rebuilt: Composition, Injury Prevention, and Generating Power from the Rowing Stroke. Advisor: Bill Briscoe

Joseph Revier: Correlations of pi-N Partial Waves for Multi-Reaction Analysis. Advisor: Michael Doring

David Plotnick: Metabolic Comparison via Microprobe CE-ESI-MS. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu

Joseph Crandall: Bismuth Telluride Flowability & Characterization. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu

Alessi Kidd: Probing Different Emission Components in Gamma-Ray Burst Light Curves. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst

Frank Carmody: What is the Purpose of Physics Experiments? Advisor: Gary White

Matthew Kasturas: Neutron Vortex Scattering on Crystalline Structures. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev

Oliver Berroteran. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev

April 29, 2016 Symposium

Jacob Maibach. Advisor: Weiqun Peng

James Ranfone. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst

Brian Alden. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst

Srividya Murthy. Advisor: Mark Reeves

Michael Helton. Advisor: Mark Reeves